The FA Cup fifth round is here, as teams look to take a step closer to Wembley Stadium. A win in this round will see teams one win away from a visit to the iconic stadium in the semi-finals of the competition.
While all three of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are out of the competition, there is still a London representation. Crystal Palace take on Millwall at Selhurst Park in the 12.15pm kick-off on Saturday, while Fulham travel to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon (4.30pm kick-off).
The other fifth round ties see Aston Villa host Cardiff City, Preston North End take on Burnley in an all Championship affair Bournemouth host Wolves, Man City vs Plymouth Argyle, Newcastle vs Brighton and Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town.
Unlike earlier rounds, there are some changes to the rules from the fifth round onwards, with technology being introduced. With that in mind, here is what you need to know.
Will VAR be in use?
Yes, the fifth round of the tournament sees VAR in use in the FA Cup for the first time this season. Previous rounds didn’t use the technology, much to the annoyance of teams such as Chelsea and Leicester City who saw decisions go against them that may have been overturned.
Any other rule changes?
As well as the introduction of VAR, the fifth round will also see the implementation of semi-automated offsides for the first time in English football.
It has also been confirmed that any VAR decision will be accompanied by an in-stadium announcement by the referee, confirming the final decision. It’s something that was seen for the first time in England in the Carabao Cup semi-finals
Will there be extra time?
Yes, like in earlier rounds, if teams can’t be separated after 90 minutes, then extra time will be used. If the scores are still level after the extra 30 minutes then the game will be decided by a penalty shootout.
